Argentina 2 Ivory Coast 1: A reputation has been restored. If Argentina arrived in Germany still feeling the scars from their meek showing four years ago then this was the backlash. "The first step has been taken to erase the memory of what happened in Japan," said Gabriel Heinze after this explosive contest. "We have proven our quality. We will see how far that will take us."
It may yet propel them to Berlin next month for, surely, the Argentinians are serious contenders. Confronted by a marauding Ivory Coast side, Jose Pekerman's team proved their pedigree. There is a fiendishness to their game that, if hardly attractive, is still admirable. Diego Maradona, celebrating manically in the stand, will have rejoiced in the mixture of cunning and efficiency; he will also have appreciated the majesty of his successor at number 10.
Juan Roman Riquelme, almost awkward in the limelight, is about as far removed off the pitch from Maradona as is possible yet his genius on the turf consumes occasions such as this. Repeatedly in the opening exchanges on Saturday Argentina's defence creaked as the Elephants threatened a stampede, but the South Americans were too streetwise to submit. From the Ivorian pressure emerged Riquelme, just before the quarter-hour, with his corner thumped goalwards by Roberto Ayala. Jean-Jacques Tizie twice saw the ball squirm from his grasp and clearly edge over the line. But if the officials offered the Africans a reprieve, Riquelme did not.
It was the Villarreal midfielder's vicious free-kick which landed, via a mixture of Didier Drogba and Heinze, for Hernan Crespo to hammer Argentina ahead. Ivory Coast were still deflated when, seven minutes from the interval, Riquelme conjured a pass so delicately weighted as to deny Tizie the opportunity to react. Javier Saviola spun through to slip his shot through the goalkeeper, but the genius was in the slick supply line.
Such ruthlessness took the breath, with Argentina content thereafter to kill off the contest with a mixture of patient possession and gamesmanship. Juan Pablo Sorin and Heinze collapsed beneath vague challenges but were themselves ever eager to tug and harry. Roberto Ayala's influence choked Ivory Coast's spirit and it was only in the frantic final stages, after Drogba had turned in Arthur Boka's cross, that victory was ever in doubt.
Ivory Coast coach Henri Michel pointed to "inexperience" as decisive. Emmanuel Eboue spoke of "naivety". Ivory Coast's Kanga Akale and Drogba should have scored early, and Bonaventure Kalou twice dragged shots wide after incisive approach play from Kader Keita and Yaya Toure. Critically, though, Roberto Abbondanzieri kept out Keita's point-blank header that would have drawn the Africans level 10 minutes before the interval.
"I never feared we could suffer an upset," added Heinze, whose performance was admirable given his campaign with Manchester United had amounted to two reserve-team appearances since he ripped his cruciate ligament last September. "People talk of us as candidates to win this tournament but I'll leave that to them. We work day to day, but we are a squad with a dream."
SUBSTITUTIONS
ARGENTINA: Palacio for Crespo (64 mins), Gonzalez for Saviola (76 mins), Aimar for Riquelme (90 mins). Subs not used: Coloccini, Cruz, Cufre, Franco, Messi, Milito, Scaloni, Tevez, Ustari. Booked: Saviola, Heinze, Gonzalez.
IVORY COAST: Bakari Kone for Akale (62 mins), Dindane for Kalou (56 mins), Arouna Kone for Keita (77 mins). Subs not used: Barry, Demel, Domoraud, Fae, Gnanhouan, Kouassi, Romaric, Yapi Yapo, Zoro. Booked: Eboue, Drogba.
Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).
